Lisa Robertson Mollifies Existence

Such a great reading last night at Peagsus for the EYEBALL HATRED reading series, which are more frequent in the fall than any other time of year, methinks.

I like a lot of what I've read of Joseph Lease, and his show at 21 Grand last month was brilliant. But the way he reads is just excellent. It is the first time I have seen/heard him, and I was rather enthralled through his whole set. I think I might be a fan now. I was really totally impressed. I am going to buy his book when I have money. I can't wait to read it.

Lisa Robertson wrote The Men and The Weather. Both are good. I truly love The Weather. You probably know that I have had a thing for Lisa Robertson. Last year, everyone I knew was reading Lisa Robertson. She is a rather splendid poet. Last night she read one the best sets of poetry I have ever listened to. All newer stuff and things I haven't heard before, a few I hadn't read before. There is something about her work that is absolutely enchanting. And she is a fascinating person.

I don't want to compare poets, but I feel the same way around Lisa Robertson as I do around Norma Cole. I feel like no matter what I say around them, I will sound stupid, so I try not to say anything. I am so nervous around Norma Cole that I have never officially met her. I would never have met Lisa Robertson if I didn't hang around my betters. My betters introduce me to people sometimes.

It doesn't get much better than Lisa Robertson.
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At my first reading in the Bay Area, this guy named Clay came to me afterward and said that he liked my work. I didn't know who he was, but we ended up talking about poetry, Catholicism and other horrible things. Clay Banes became a good friend of mine and also sort of a guide when it comes to local and national poetics. I owe a great deal to him. He has helped me make this place my home. But I am getting sentimental now.

I wanted to point out that when I first got here, the EYEBALL HATRED reading series had this funny tag: Infrequent but Frequently Good. Something like that.

I think it should be Frequent and Frequently Fucking Fantastic now.
Or perhaps Phrequent and Phrequently Phucking Phantastic to get past the censors like Eazy-E used to do.
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I have been hearing, with greater frequency, about the poetic community.
The people who complain about the community are usually the ones who are on the peripheral.
Scornful petty people who are better at pointing fingers than producing anything.
The people who complain about being poets and how hard it is are kind of funny to me.
It is often torturous and ruinous being a poet, and it pays peanuts, but it is also a very beautiful life.
I never wish for anything else.

But I would like someone to introduce me to Norma Cole.